Apple is rolling out a new privacy control in its next iPhone and iPad software update that limits how precisely cellular networks can track a user’s location.
The feature, called Limit Precise Location, arrives with iOS and iPadOS 26.3 and reduces the accuracy of location data that mobile carriers can infer from cell tower connections.
Instead of pinpointing a device’s exact position, supported networks will only be able to determine a broader area, such as a neighborhood.
The update is expected to be Apple’s first major iPhone software release of 2026, with a public rollout likely in late January, according to The Mac Observer.
Why It Matters
Cellular carriers routinely collect location data as part of normal network operations, but that information has also been misused in the past.
In 2024, U.S. regulators fined major wireless carriers nearly $200 million over improper handling and sharing of customer location data.
By limiting the precision of carrier-level location data, Apple is closing a lesser-known privacy gap that exists outside of app-based location permissions, which users can already manage through iOS settings.
What To Know
Apple says the new setting affects only the information available to cellular networks and does not interfere with normal device use.
“The limit precise location setting doesn’t impact the precision of the location data that is shared with emergency responders during an emergency call,” Apple said in a support post.
The company added that it also does not affect app-based location sharing through services such as Find My.
According to Apple’s support documentation, the feature is available on iPhone Air, iPhone 16e and iPad Pro (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular models running iOS or iPadOS 26.3 or later, and only on supported carriers.
To enable it:
- Open Settings
- Tap Cellular
- Select Cellular Data Options
- Scroll to Limit Precise Location and toggle it on.
- Users may be prompted to restart their device.
As of now, supported carriers include Boost Mobile in the U.S., Telekom in Germany, EE and BT in the U.K., and AIS and True in Thailand, Apple says.
What People Are Saying
Commenters on Reddit’s r/apple forum praised Apple’s commitment to security, although there were some skeptics.
“A feature meant to actually benefit the privacy of users?” one commenter wrote. “Tides must be shifting. Something’s gonna happen soon. I wonder why Apple wants to be in our good graces again.”
“Apple is that one company that has been making privacy its selling feature for more than a decade,” another user pointed out. “It’s also why its AI implementations sucked so badly….it just didn’t have enough user data.”
“It’s always been more privacy-focused than other big tech companies, so this isn’t really anything new,” a third individual agreed.
“It tried to get into the user data and ads business, but it didn’t work out for it. Now it focuses on privacy as its schtick.”
What’s Next
Apple has begun testing iOS 26.3 in beta, with a full public release expected by the end of January if the company follows its usual update schedule.
Newsweek has reached out to Apple for comment via email.
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